Driving mechanism for speedometers.



T. E. ADAMS. DRIVING MBGHANISM FOR SPBBDOMETERS.. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 12, 1911.

Patented 0011.31, 1911.

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MEQ. 1 1,1 l 1 WJTNESSES "l j I, l INVENTOR @1%. W f Y T. E. ADAMS. DRIVING MEGHA'NISM P OR SPBEOMBTERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1911.

Patented Oct. 31, 1'911.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

I'I`. Il 'lli www All' n y THOMAS EDGAR ADAMS,

or CLEVELAND, oHro.'

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR SPEEDOMETEBS.

Speciiication of Letters Patent. 001x131, 1911.

Appncaaon mea June 12, 1911. serial no.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS E, ADAMS, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, havel invented -certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Speedometers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which ,1G it appertains. tomake anduse-the same.

This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for speedometers and more particularly to lsuch as are adapted to receive motion from a wheel of an automobile and transmit such motion. -to a speedometer located at any convenient place on the vehicle. v 4

. One object of my present invention is to provide a simple, compact structurer-the members of which shall be so arranged that the moving parts will be protected from dust. and Water;

A further object .is to so construct the mechanism that gears of one ratio can be readily substituted for gearsv of another ratio, for giving the proper speed to the driven shaft for carrying-wheels of diierent diameters. l

A further obj ect' is vto provide simple means for sealing the mechanism and thus prevent falsiying of. .the record o'f the speedometer which said mechanism'operates.-

A further object is to so construct the mechanism that mud` and sand cannot be crowded into the joint of the knuckle-or between the gear in the hub and .the adjacent knuckle member.

A further object isto construct the mech- -anisrn in such manner thatadjustment in the gearing can be readily effected. v

With -these objects in view the inventn consistsin certain novel features of oonstruc' tion and-combinations of parts as'hereinafter set` forth and pointed out in the claims.y

.In the accompanying drawings, Figure 14 i is a sectional view showing a portion oa wheel and its mountingand illustrating'the application of my improvements" thereto,

Fig. 2 is a face view 'of the knuckle showing the relation of my improvements Vto the same. Fig..3 1s fragmentar viewshowing*i a portion' of the ring, and 4 is a detail lview of. one of the locking r s. j

1-represents!a portion of an axle, with which a 2 is connected through the passesthrou Vh the hub ff-fof a wheel and within said ub bearingringsf 5--6 are located. Cones 7-f-8 areplaceda on the spindle 2 and between these conesandfthe bearing rings 5-6, anti-friction;ballsl 9-10 are disposed. A suitablev nut 1-1is screwed on the projecting end of the-spindle and between this'nut and the'cone' 8,'thin disks or. washers 18 are located. The bearing at the point of-the spindle and thel nut '11 will be inclosed by a dust cap 12 screwed on the outer end of the hub. j

The knuckle-B is provided with a circular l enlargement 13 having at its periphery an outwardly projecting annular flange 14 which enters within the projecting sand band 15 of the hub and prevents mud from being crowded into the joint ofthe knuckle,-said annular ian e 14 also serving to protect the packing or a gearring attached to the hub as presently explained. An integral collar 16 is formed between the medium f a, knuckle The spiare 2 i enlargement 13 on-the knuckle andthe in- I ner end of the spindle 2 and affords a shoulder 17. A gear ring' 19 encircles the collar v16 and comprises two annular members 20-21, vthe member 20 being internally threaded'and provided with a peripheral portion'22 which enters between the bearing ring 6 and the flanges 14 of the enlargement i 13 on the knuckle. The member 21 of the gear ring is made L-shaped in cross-section and its portion 23 is threaded externally to enter the ring-member 20. The outwardly projecting portion of the gear ringmember 21 is provided with gear 'teeth 24. The porfml tion -23 of the gear-ring member 20 is proi vided with aplurality of notches 25 for the reception o f locking rods 26, for holding the to employ two locking rods provided with loops 26 to .en age the projecting ends of:

'holes in the Igear ring member 20 and enter certain of thenotches l250i? the gear-ring member 21,'-sothatfwhen the latter hasjbeen gear ring inproper adjustment. I prefer properly adjusted f with 'respect to the pinionewit meh; it coperates, said gear-ring member.L ihelheld' `in -s'uch adjustment.

WithE thecon'struction of gear ring v,above described, ity'ean; be readily adusted for weani'as well as fort mpeg-wor rela# amenagement@ ari-weiger It will be observed that when the two to accommodate wheels of different diamev members of the'gear ring shall. have been ters and thus insure the accurate operation assembled, an annular/'groove 29 will be of the speedometer. y formed, and in this groove, felt packing ma- In view of the downward inclination of terial 30 is located, saidmaterial being in the boss 31 and the devices connected di- 70 suiiicient quantity to also enter the space berec'tly therewith, v it will be impossible for tween the forward edge of the iiange 14 and water and dust to -work their way upwardly the rear edge of the bearing ring 6. into the gearing or into the bearing of the The knuckle 3 `is provided with an integral gear ring. Y

boss 31, said boss being also'integral with Various slight changes might be made in 75 the circular enlargement 13 and disposed in the details .of construction aof my invention an inclined position preferably at about 415. without departing from the splrit thereof The boss 31 is threaded internally as at 32 or limiting its scope and hence I do not wish and in the upper portion of said boss, a to restrict myself to the precise details here- 15 socket is made forftheereception of a bush.- in set fort 80 ing 33. in which the upper end of a shaft 34 Having fully described my invention what is mounted. A sleeve 35 is screwed into the I claim as new and desire to secure by Let'- threaded lower portion of the boss 31 and ters-Patent, is is provided with a suitable bushing 3.6 for 1. In driving mechanism for speedomesaid 'shaft 311. \A,pinion 37 secured to the ters, the combination with a Wheel hub and 35 shaft 34, is `sodisposed within the boss 31 an axle spindle, having an enlargement of and betweenthe bushings-33 and 36, as to a gear ring secured to the hub, a circular vmesh with the teeth of the gear ring 19 and member carried by the spindle and receivreceive motion from the latter. 011e end of ing the gear4 ring thereinto,v a shaft mounted a flexible shaft 38 is connected with the shaft in the enlargement of the' spindle, a pinion 90 l 34 within the sleeve 35 and, this flexible shaft secured to said shaft and meshing with said is extended to that part of the vehicle on gear ring, and Ia flexible shaft connected which the speedometer'is located and is suit-` with said first mentioned shaft for trans-v ably connected with the gearing of said mitting motion to-'a speedometer.

orh

` speedometer. Av capv 39 screwed onto the 2. In driving mechanism i for speedome- 95` lower end of the sleeve 35, servesto' connect ters, the combination with a wheel hub andY with said sleeve, a ilexible housing tube 4,0,- an axle spindle mounted therein, said hubv lsaid housing tube' being intended tov protect provided at its inner end with a sand band, the flexible shaft from the connection of the of a gear ring secured to the hub, a cir- .35 latter with the shaft 34 tothe connection cular enlargement rigid with the spindle 100 of vsaid flexible shaft with the' speedometer. and having. a flange projecting 'within the .The sleeve 35 and the cap 39 are made sand band of the hub and encircling said angular'on their exterior for the accommogear ring, a. boss rigid with the spindle, a dation of a suitable wrenchandythese angushaft mounted in saidl boss, a pinion secured y 4o larmembe'rs are provided with perforated, to said shaft and meshing with the gear 105 lugs 4142re`spectively forfthe assage of aring, and means for transmitting motion V'v'viret3, said wire also passing) through a from said-shaft to a speedometer. perforation 44 on lthe lknuckle or enlarge- 1 3. The combination with an axle, an axle ment 13 thereof. The ends of the wire .43 spindle, a Vknuckle connecting the axle spin- 45 are CODI'ICCB tOgehBi by means 0f a Slitdle with the axle, and a hub within which 110 able seal 45; With such construction, it is said spindle is mounted, of a gear ring in apparent that access to the flexible shaft by saidhub, '-a circular enlargement on the which motion is transmitted to the speedknuckle and having a part entering the hub Ometel 621111101? be had WthOllt breaking the and encircling said gear ring, a boss on said 5o seal 45 and removing the cap 39 and the knuckle, a shaft mounted in said boss, 'a 115 flexible housing tube 4:0. Malicious falsifypinion'carried by said shaft and meshing ing of the speedometer record will by such with the gear ring, and means for transmitconstruction be etl'ectually prevented. ting motion from lsaid shaft to'a speedl It will be observed that the space formed ometer. by the annular flange Maand the enlarge- 4. The combination with an axle, a 120 ment 13 is appreciably greater than the knuckle attached thereto, an axle spindle width or thickness of the gear ring 19 shown projecting from `said knuckle, and a wheel in Fig. 1 of the drawing. j It is apparent hub in which said axle spindle is mounted, therefore that a wider or thickergear ring of a gear ring secured to the hub, a downcan be substituted for the one shown inthe wardly inclined boss on'th'e knuckle, a shaft 125 drawing when a smaller pinion 37 is placed mounted in said boss, a sleeve securedto the on the shaft 34C or a thinner or narrower gear boss and inclining downwardly` therefrom, lring 'canfbe employed when a larger pinion said sleeve affording a bearing"'ffr said' 3l is used. Thus it will be apparent that shaft, a pinion secured to the shafteand the gearing can be readily adjusted in ratio meshing with the ring, and means for 3.9i()l transmitting motion from said shaft to a speedometer. A

5. The combination with a Wheel hub and an aXle spindle mounted therein, of a gear ring secured to t-he hub and having a peripheral groove and packing material in sald groove, an enlargement rigid with the spindle and provided With an annular iiange encircling the grooved periphery ofthe gear ring and the packing material therein, a shaft having a mounting" inthe enlargement in the spindle, a pinion secured to said shaft and meshing with the gear ring and means for transmitting motion from said shaft to a speedometer.

6. The combination with a Wheel hub and a spindle mounted therein, of a` gear ringv f secured to the hub, an annular enlargement wheel hub, of speedometer' driving mecha.

nism, comprising a pinion, a mounting on the spindle for said pinion, and a gear rlng secured to. the ivheel hub, said, gear ring' comprising two members and means for effecting adjustment of one of said members, relatively to the other and to the pinion.

y ,8. The combination with a spindle and a Wheel hub, ot speedometer driving mechamsm comprislng a pinion, a mounting on the spindle for said pinion, a gear ring meshing with said pinion, said gear ring comprising two members movably connected together, and means attached to the Wheel hub and engaging the gear ring members to secure said members to the wheel hubv and lock them relatively to each other.

9. The combination with a spindle and a Wheel hub, of speedometer driving mechanism, comprising a pinion, a mounting on the 'spindle for said pinion, a gear ring comprising two members, one of said members having gear teeth and having threaded connection with the other member, the gear ring member having the gearl teeth being provided with a plurality of slots, and a rod' attached to the Wheel hub and passing through one gearring member and entering a slot in the other gear ring member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS EDGAR ADAMS.

' Witnesses: p v

' JOHN R. ORPU'rr, M. C. BIXBY.

copies of uns patent may be obtained for :ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0." 

